As the Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently found small business confidence to have risen in February - not to mention other recent improvements in private lending and consumer activity - businesses are faced with an improving economy and all the uncertain operational tasks that go along with it.
While each business is different and, hence, each requires a different recovery strategy, marketing should nonetheless be at the top of most companies' game plan. For small firms, this means embracing creativity, frugality and focus on a level unseen before. Social media, mobile, radio, television, print, email - all these mediums should be under consideration.
Consider Facebook, for instance - a social network that is used by nearly half of all small businesses, according to a recent survey by BIA/Kelsey and ConStat. While the marketing potential is evident, many small firms are taken aback by what works and what doesn't.
"Facebook selects content based on how much the user has clicked on 'like,' 'share, or 'comment' on your past content, how many other Facebook users clicked on your post, and how recent the content is," writes Joan Voight for AllBusiness.com.
In that sense, businesses have to approach the medium as a "friend" in competition with prospects' other social media interests. Accordingly, maintain a friendly and intriguing attitude.
